Denver gets $1 million for South Platte River work; Fort Collins will use grant to tackle Poudre River corridor restoration

Staff Report

FRISCO — Even as right-wing anti-environmental lawmakers in Congress seek to slash the EPA’s budget, the agency in the past couple of weeks announced $2.4 million in grants that will help Colorado communities clean up and revitalize areas that have been tainted by the same big industrial companies that support those legislators.

In the Denver Metro area, the City and County of Denver and the City of Northglenn will each receive $400,000, and Adams County will receive $200,000. Across the country, the EPA made 243 grant investments totaling $54.3 million to 147 communities. Continue reading →

FRISCO — Making buildings more energy efficient may not be as sexy as putting up new wind turbines or a fancy new solar power facility, but it’s low-hanging fruit if the goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Energy use in commercial buildings accounts for 17 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions at a cost of more than $100 billion per year, and simple changes like switching to compact fluorescent bulbs on a large scale can save vast amounts of energy and money. Designing buildings to be green from the ground up has even more potential to help in the fight against climate change. Continue reading →

FRISCO — Long before Denver sprawled into being, migratory birds passed through the area on their from breeding grounds in Canada to winter habitat along the Gulf Coast, Mexico and Central America. The eastern base of the Rocky Mountains is part of one the great North American flyways, and last month, Denver Parks and Recreation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that the city has signed on to an urban bird treaty that will help preserve havens for migratory birds. Continue reading →

FRISCO — The Colorado may be our state’s namesake river, but the the South Platte is the workhorse, draining most of the Front Range, coursing through urban Denver and spreading out into great trickling braids to sustain prairie farms and ranches.

From the earliest days, the river of the plains has figured prominently in Colorado history, as a pathway for the early French and Spanish explorers who were part of that era’s geopolitical maneuverings in the New World. The Native Americans of the region, of course had a long-standing association with the river and their own name for it — the Niinéniiniicíihéhe’. Continue reading →

Activists have set May 25 as a wordwide day of action to raise awareness about genetically modified food issues.

Colorado joins in with demonstrations across the state

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — Activists today (May 25) will try to raise awareness about what they perceive as the dangers of genetically modified foods with a series of worldwide marches and protests under the #OccupyMonsanto banner.The rallies include events across Colorado, from Denver to Grand Junction. The Denver protest at the State Capitol starts at 11 a.m. and is scheduled to continue until 4 p.m.

Grassroots opposition has been growing the past few months since Congress passed what’s been called the Monsanto Protection Act, which appears to gives the U.S. Department of Agriculture at least temporary authority to ignore court rulings on whether it’s OK to plant genetically engineered crops. Read this NPR report for more details on the congressional action. Continue reading →

An active northern jet stream is bringing cold air and moisture to the northern tier of states, including Colorado. On and off snow is possible through the weekend.

The CAIC is reporting numerous backcountry avalanches. Click here for more photos.

By Bob Berwyn

FRISCO — March is living up to its reputation as the snowiest month in the Colorado high country, with chilly spring storm snarling roads, intensifying avalanche danger and adding much-needed moisture to the state’s snowpack.

Ski areas around the state are generally reporting up to 12 inches of new snow in the past few days, and moderate to heavy snow continued falling Saturday morning. Some of the heaviest totals are expected east of the Continental Divide, where the California Department of Transportation reported bumper-to-bumper traffic around I-70 and C-470.

East of Denver, I-70 was closed to the Kansas border, and slick conditions on the westbound approach to the mountains prompted CDOT to require chains, snow tires or four-wheel drive for all vehicles in Mt. Vernon Canyon, just west of Denver.

SUMMIT COUNTY — Along with residents of Albuquerque, Rapid City and Amarillo, Summit County locals will be wooed to visit Dener with $1 million ad blitz aimed at drawing tourists to the Mile High City during the heart of the winter season.

Alongside tourism and business officials, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock announced the Mile High Holidays campaign at a press conference at the Cherry Creek Shopping Center. The campaign is a collaborative marketing program to increase the overall number of visitors to Denver in the traditionally slow period of November through January.

“Of course the holidays are a magical time of year, but they are also a critical time for many businesses in Denver,” Hancock said. “The Mile High Holidays campaign continues the City’s commitment to supporting and growing our local businesses by partnering with shopping districts and businesses to sell all of Denver to out-of-town visitors.” Continue reading →

TURNBERRY, Scotland (AP) — As Inbee Park hunted down Jin-Young Ko in the final stretch of the Women's British Open, it quickly became clear which South Korean was the rookie and which was the player about to add another chapter in golf's record book.

The issue of drivers' fitness to get behind the wheel with potentially dangerous medical conditions surfaces intermittently. Usually, it happens in the wake of a tragedy that calls into question the means of navigating the fine line between privilege and responsibility. In Colorado, that responsibility rests largely with the individual.